SlipperFan
Addicted
'haven' x 'smokin' -- best blooming for this one so far. Anyone know what causes those lines in the petals?
Phrag. besseae
- Thread starter SlipperFan
- Start date
Help Support Slippertalk Orchid Forum:
B
biothanasis
Guest
Cool!!!! these white lines on the petals make it special..!
W. Beetus
Well-Known Member
Nice, round petals! Stunning!
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2006
- Messages
- 355
- Reaction score
- 29
I have several Haven x Smokin' - really great color on these! Only one showed similar lines (somewhat more centrally placed and those only on one of the three sequential flowers. This is something I see on the occasional besseae flower. I assume some issue with bud development from time to time.
Ron
Ron
A
AquaGem
Guest
Awesome flower. Got a few of these too. Waiting for them to flower.
K
koshki
Guest
Holy mackerel, that is really something!
Yoyo_Jo
Catt's Meow
I have that exact cross; but I sure didn't get as lovely blooms as you have. Fabulous! :drool:
E
Ernie
Guest
Nice, Dot!
B
Bolero
Guest
Possibly the best one I have ever seen......congratulations!!!
smartie2000
Well-Known Member
beautiful, I love the clean lines on the pouch
John M
Orchid Addict
Gorgeous! Awesome petals, Dot! I've never heard a good explanation for those lines, except that they are unstable and come and go.
Yay besseae! Those lines come when you don't get a tan under your bikini bottom! 
JeanLux
Well-Known Member
I like the color (of course) and the large petals, and this little add-on makes them unique !!!! Jean
!!!! Jean
C
Chuck
Guest
I suppose the lines are considered a fault by most, but, they do add a spark to this flower. I see small lines occasionally on some of the OZ besseaes I have. I had one recently on a Big Bob X Colossal. I don't have a clue what causes them. I don't see them on the two other besseaes I have.
Wow!!!
John M
Orchid Addict
Years ago, when besseae was still "new", I was at the Ann Arbor, Michigan judging centre, sitting next to Dr. Dick Clements. He had the most spectacular, red besseaes. Back then, 1989, all besseaes in collections were wild collected plants. Dr. Clements' plant had been turned down for scoring consideration because it had very slight "lines" like this on the petals. Although, they were shorter and not as prominent, they were enough for the judges to disqualify the plant from further consideration. Dr. Clements was actually quite disappointed because the flowers were otherwise absolutely spectacular and the marks were so very tiny. So, even plants straight from the jungle did this. It seems to be part of the "besseae condition".
Dr. Clements did his reasearch ahead of each judging (even going so far as printing out a copy of past awards and submitting these research documents with his plants at the judging sessions) and he knew that the besseaes he'd presented for judging were better than anything else that had been awarded to that date. Before he knew the reason for the plants being passed over, he asked the judges afterwards why they didn't point the plants....even for an HCC? He was told the lines in the petals (which you had to strain hard to see), were "fatal flaws". Dr. Clements was really rocked by this because according to his research ahead of time, these plants should've received point scores over 90 points, which of course, is FCC territory. He told me that he really wanted to win an FCC before he died. But, he felt he'd become a bit "persona non-grata" at that judging centre; so, he didn't attend the judgings for some months after that incident. A short while later, he wrote me all excited that he'd been back to the judging again and he won 2 FCC's! One was for a Paph. micranthum and the other was for a Paph. armeniacum; both "all covered in moss on top". He was ecstatic! Unfortunately, he passed away while gardening in his back yard before he got to see his FCC's published in the AOS AQ.
Dr. Clements did his reasearch ahead of each judging (even going so far as printing out a copy of past awards and submitting these research documents with his plants at the judging sessions) and he knew that the besseaes he'd presented for judging were better than anything else that had been awarded to that date. Before he knew the reason for the plants being passed over, he asked the judges afterwards why they didn't point the plants....even for an HCC? He was told the lines in the petals (which you had to strain hard to see), were "fatal flaws". Dr. Clements was really rocked by this because according to his research ahead of time, these plants should've received point scores over 90 points, which of course, is FCC territory. He told me that he really wanted to win an FCC before he died. But, he felt he'd become a bit "persona non-grata" at that judging centre; so, he didn't attend the judgings for some months after that incident. A short while later, he wrote me all excited that he'd been back to the judging again and he won 2 FCC's! One was for a Paph. micranthum and the other was for a Paph. armeniacum; both "all covered in moss on top". He was ecstatic! Unfortunately, he passed away while gardening in his back yard before he got to see his FCC's published in the AOS AQ.
SlipperFan
Addicted
Thanks, John. Interesting story, and a little sad. But good to know these lines seem to be endemic to besseae, and not bad culture!
Yoyo_Jo
Catt's Meow
Dot, in my thread about my deformed besseae (exact same clones used in the cross as yours) you can just see one of those white lines on one of the petals on my photo of the final bloom that was not deformed.
SlipperFan
Addicted
Thanks Joanne. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
